connect with me

Still searching for balance?

Apricot Jalapeño Yellow Lentil Hummus

Happy New Year, friends! In Italian culture, eating lentils on New Years Day is supposed to bring luck and prosperity. Their small, round shape are representative of coins, and, as the saying goes, those who eat them will “count coins all year long” (conta quattrini tutto l’anno).

Welp, I’ve pulverized my “coins” into hummus, so let’s hope that’s not a bad foreshadow of what’s to come in 2018. I guess it could be similar to melting gold into bullion? Maybe? Yeah, let’s go with that! Because I would definitely call this hummus gold!

In this recipe, yellow lentils take the place of traditional chickpeas, which makes a great option for anyone with intolerances to chickpeas or for just a fun, tasty alternative. And no, I don’t have a chickpea intolerance, I eat traditional hummus all the time. In fact, I had never really heard of using lentils to make hummus until a couple weeks ago.

I went down to the little snack shop in my office building to get my daily afternoon kombucha, and the man who runs the shop asked if I wanted to try this hummus. The brand was Lantana, which I hadn’t heard of, and it was a yellow lentil hummus. Intrigued, I said I would try it – so he gave it to me for free. I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but fast forward 20 minutes later and half the container was gone. No shame – It was so dang good. It’s a little bit sweet, a little bit spicy. I knew I had to try and recreate it, so I took a peek at the ingredient list and got to work! Which, I should mention their ingredients are pretty minimal and non-GMO, so props to them.

And now I’m sharing the wealth (see what I did there?!) with you all!

My version is…

A little bit sweet: check. *but less than 3g sugar per serving!*

A little bit spicy: check.

A lot delicious: check check.

Going to bring you riches: well, maybe?

Either way, I’ll be snacking on this for all of 2018!

And before I go, I just wanted to say a quick *Thank You* to all of my friends and family who have always encouraged me to create Lauren in Balance. We are just getting started, but I have so much envisioned for 2018. So thank you, thank you for your support thus far, and looking forward to growing with you!

1 tbsp avocado oil (or other neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola)

¼ cup olive oil, plus more for finishing (optional)

Instructions

Prepare the lentils. In a medium pot, add the lentils and two cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a light simmer for about 20 minutes, uncovered, until tender. If needed, add a bit more hot water throughout to make sure lentils remain covered. Drain and set aside to cool. This should yield about 2 cups of cooked lentils.

In a food processor or blender, add the cooked lentils, and remaining ingredients through water. With the food processor (or blender on medium-high speed) running, begin to drizzle in the oils. Continue to let food processor (or blender) run until the hummus is smooth (about 5+ minutes, the longer the better, scrape down the sides as needed).

Serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator up to a week.

3.5.3229

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION*

Serving Size: 2 tbsp

Calories: 90.3

Fat: 4.9g

Carbs: 9.3g

Fiber: 2.1g

Sugar: 2.5g

Protein: 3.0g

*Nutritional Information provided is a rough estimate for informational purposes and based on the recipe measurements, specific ingredients used and nutritional data available. Any variance in ingredients or measurements may affect the Nutritional Information accordingly.